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Log Cabin Motel
Day 7 Aug 23 - Penticton to Penticton
Dist:0 Time:0:00:00 Elev:598
Total:470.4 Avg:0 Gain:0
Today was a rest day, in the morning we said goodbye to Chris and Kristann as they had to bike back to the truck. We packed up the tent and things and went to the Log Cabin Motel. We did some laundry and sat in the park reading. In the evening we went to the other side of town and visited Sandra's friend Dana from Germany who was staying at the youth hostel. We went to dinner with her, then biked back to our side of town.


Sandra's friend Dana in Penticton
That's scary stuff kids!
Crossing the Bridge

Day 8 Aug 24 - Penticton to Peachland
Dist:58.1 Time:3:53:11 Elev:713
Total:528.5 Avg:14.9 Gain:630
We started out along the Kettle Valley Railway out of town heading to Summerland. It was a mild but steady incline. The beginning was a bit too sandy, but it got better. Eventually we came to the Trout Creek tressel bridge. It was pretty impressive 73m high and 76m long and made of thick beams with nothing between them. The rails are still in place and the gaps too big to ride across so we walked (slowly!) across. From that point on the railway is now in use again so we had to take a detour on the road up a short tortuous road, but we got to see the Kettle Valley train full of passengers go by. Eventually the train will go across the tressel bridge as well. In Summerland we stopped for a picnic lunch and then continued on to Peachland. We stayed with Cheryl and Terry who live up a 150m hill! Since that didn't seem like enough of a challenge, we first decided to go up a different 150m hill just for practice. Had a great dinner with them, and after a few races around the yard with the dog, went to bed.
Tressel Bridge


Kettle Valley Railway
Okanagan Lake
Cheryl and Terry


Day 9 Aug 25 - Peachland to Close to Vernon
Dist:87.1 Time:5:35:38 Elev:617
Total:615.6 Avg:15.7 Gain:1147
After looking at the map we decided that the West Lake Road on the other side of the lake from Kelowna looked really nice. It was right along the lake, not as busy, etc. What the map didn't show was that it was continuous up and down hill, a hundred meters at a time. After climbing out of Peachland around drought hill and through Westbank we turned onto West Lake Rd. We began to dread downhills as it just meant we would have to climb back up again. Drained we stopped at the Okanagan Lake Resort for a long lunch. Refreshed we pushed on. The were still a lot hills and it was extremely windy in some parts. Eventually we entered the Indian reserve and a bit later it started to get dark so we stopped at a campground a little bit before Vernon. Got some food and made a spaghetti dinner, had some ice cream and went to bed.


Campground
Monte Lake
Coming into Kamloops

Day 10 Aug 26 - Vernon to Kamloops
Dist:107.0 Time:6:08:38 Elev:604
Total:722.6 Avg:17.4 Gain:786
Road was pretty good, not too many hills. After a while we came to a flag person who said that there was a huge accident and everyone had to go up to Salmon Arm to get around it. The accident was past Westwold so we said we probably would even go that far, and it would take a while to go there anyway so we could go through. It was nice because there were less cars on the road. The weather wasn't that nice and we stopped in Falkland for some lunch. By the time we were finished lunch the road was open again. At Monte lake we decided to press on to Kamloops. We hit a major rainstorm as we went mostly downhill 20km into Kamloops. All we could see is this bright golden area in the distance, but where we were it was almost dark. As we got into town we go to see the sun and a fantastic rainbow. We went for a Jacuzzi room which was nice. Soaked for a while and then went for some dinner.
mmmm Jaccuzi!


Ready to go again
We're heading up there!
It's real!


B&B in Savona
Day 11 Aug 27 - Kamloops to Savona
Dist:52.8 Time:3:44:57 Elev:650
Total:775.4 Avg:13.5 Gain:770
The day didn't start too well. We got some food in town and began up the huge hill out of Kamloops. Along the was it says "No Bikes" but does not offer an alternative. We went a slightly different way and came back to the highway and again got a "No Bikes" sign. After a bit of discussion we decided to go anyway. A little while later there were sign telling bikers how to cross the offramp - a bit contradictory as earlier it had said no bikes! Anyway the road was not too bad, mostly desert scenery, but a climb up a large hill gave a great view of the Kamloops lake. We stopped in a town called Savona and stayed at a really nice B&B the Lakeside Country Inn. Dined at the local diner and relaxed for the evening.

Day 12 Aug 28 - Savona to Lytton
Dist:126.9 Time:6:53:17 Elev:406
Total:902.3 Avg:18.5 Gain:1215
We had a really nice continental breakfast at the B&B and then headed out fairly early. We were starting to get a bit behind schedule so we really wanted to make Lytton today. The roads were mostly up and down with no really steep hills all the way to Cache Creek. We stopped for lunch at a cafe and then went onward. After a few more hills we had a long downhill into Spences Bridge. Stopped for a break there and talked with another biker going the other direction. He said 35km to Lytton the gas station attendant said 55km. Given that it was getting late we were fortunate that the biker was right. As the Thompson river was becoming more canyon like, then road was getting more narrow and the shoulder was not so good. To make it worse the last 12km or so to Lytton was mostly uphill with a strong headwind. But we did finally make it. Stayed at the Totem Motel run by a Dutch couple who were nice enough to drive us up the hill for dinner.
Mountain goat completely unconcerned about me.


Heading into the canyon
Will we ever make it to Lytton?
Totem Motel in Lytton


Day 13 Aug 29 - Lytton to Hope
Dist:109 Time:6:42:20 Elev:225
Total:1011.3 Avg:16.3 Gain:1347
We walked up the hill out of Lytton and began to bike down the Fraser Canyon. It was misty/rainy and the "down" the Fraser Canyon is a bit of a misnomer. A lot of hills, especially Jackass mountain. Quite tired and wet we stopped in Boston Bar for lunch. With no change in the weather we continued on. The biggest problem was the tunnels. As we approached the first tunnel there was a sign saying that bikers should use the sidewalk and give way to pedestrians. Sounds fine except the sidewalk had a railing on one side and width from the tunnel to the railing was about half a meter, our bikes would not physically fit. So we had to use the road which was a wee bit scary. By the last tunnel Sandra had developed a strategy of going as fast as she could though the tunnel! The road leveled out and the rest of the way to Hope was pretty good road. When we got to Hope we stayed in the same motel as at the beginning of the trip. Ordered in Pizza and relaxed. Just one day to go.


Scary Tunnels
More tunnels
Chainsaw carving capital


Cleaning the bikes
All Clean
Unpacking all the bags

Day 14 Aug 30 - Hope to Maple Ridge
Dist:130 Time:6:38:35 Elev:275
Total:1141.3 Avg:19.4 Gain:551
The last day. We ate breakfast in the park in Hope. Huge group of tourists get off a bus - they are all Dutch! Took the #7 to Aggasiz and then cut back towards the freeway. Took the Old Yale road into Chilliwack and had lunch there on a patio. Continued on to the freeway. After a while there was a sign that said biker must take bike route. Nice bike route in the outskirts of Abbotsford, but added about 10kms to our journey before dumping us back on the freeway again. Next bike detour sign we ignored. Took the exit to mission and eventually across the Mission Bridge. Last leg always seems the longest, especially when you know that road and what is coming. Got back to Maple Ridge at 8pm which was perfect.

In the end we did 1141 kilometers and 10213 meters vertically!


All Done!!